Those of all faiths, as well as people today who are alienated from organized religion, will find in this radical reflection on the most widely known (and misunderstood) of biblical texts a resource for both personal dignity and political resistance. When lived, as unpacked in this insightful book, the Commandments liberate us from oppressive systems, guide us to live lightly on the earth, and create the foundation on which we build beloved community.

Progressives these days crave meaningful practices to help them live in light of their values – the kinds of religious resources and disciplines that the religious right has provided so usefully for conservatives. No Other Gods is a step in this direction. It reintroduces the Ten Commandments text as a politically and spiritually radical prescription. For example, the Commandment against stealing is extended to include any failure to pay fair trade price for consumer goods. The Commandment against killing includes deaths caused by environmental devastation. Those who want a meaningful way to live out their spirituality and politics don’t have to invent a bunch of new practices. There is a perfectly good set of ten of them, all ready to go, with as much progressive firepower as any of us can handle, that has existed for some 3000 years.

Chapter titles:

The Ten Commandments Are Practices of Liberation

The First Commandment: You Shall Have No Other Gods Besides Me

Dethrone the Modern Deities of Political, Social, and Corporate Power

The Second Commandment: Do Not Make for Yourself a Sculpted Image; Do Not Bow to Them, Do Not Serve Them

Accept No Substitutes for God's Power of Liberation

The Third Commandment: Do Not Take the Name of God in Vain

Defend the Goodness of God; Take Responsibility for Resistance and Change

The Fourth Commandment: Observe the Sabbath Day and Keep it Holy

Squander One Day Every Week

The Fifth Commandment: Honor Your Father and Your Mother

Stay Accountable to Where You Came From

The Sixth Commandment: Do Not Kill

Renounce Human and Ecological Violence

The Seventh Commandment: Do Not Commit Adultery

Stay In for the Long Run, Reject Throw-Away Culture

The Eight Commandment: Do Not Steal

Pay What Stuff Really Costs in Fair Wages and the Earth's Resources

The Ninth Commandment: Do Not Testify Against Your Neighbor As a Lying Witness

Speak and Demand Truth in Every Sphere - Home, Corporations, Government

The Tenth Commandment: Do Not Covet

Practice Your Liberation--You Have Enough, You Are Enough

Conclusion: Kindness to the Thousandth Generation

About Ana Levy-Lyons

Ana Levy-Lyons is the Senior Minister at the First Unitarian Universalist Society of Brooklyn. www.fuub.org. Featuring Tiffany windows, it is a beautiful gothic church built in 1844 in Brooklyn Heights, and has increasingly become a home for “nones” and the religiously “nothing in particular.” As her Ten commandments series became increasingly popular, we wanted to share her enlightening, compassionate and helpful view with a larger audience which we know is out there. Levy-Lyons is a rising star in a denomination of over 200,000 members, blogs and is a frequent contributor to Tikkun Magazine.